Research Catalog

Title

The art of darkness : deception and urban operations / Scott Gerwehr, Russell W. Glenn.

Author

Gerwehr, Scott, 1968-

Publication

Santa Monica, CA : RAND, 2000.

Items in the Library & Off-site

Details

Additional Authors

• Arroyo Center
• Glenn, Russell W.
• Rand Corporation.

Description

xviii, 70 p.; 23 cm.

Summary

An area of potential vulnerability for U.S. forces during urban operations is the need to face an adversary's use of deception (a likely part of an overall asymmetric strategy). Significantly, deception is also an area of great potential benefit if employed effectively by U.S. forces as a core component of information operations. Drawing heavily from the historical record as well as such diverse sources as animal biology, social psychology, and criminology, this research seeks to establish a broad theoretical framework within which to consider deception. It concludes that deception is altered in form and abetted in function by the urban environment. This potentiating interrelationship between urban terrain and deception has six fundamental characteristics: (1) The scope of deceptions is greater in the urban environment than any other, (2) the abundant "background noise" of urban environments hampers counterdeception faculties, (3) cities are a rich trove of materials with which to conduct deception, (4) decisionmaking is generally worsened in urban environments relative to other environments, (5) the presence and proximity of noncombatants complicate the intelligence picture at all operational levels, and (6) urban clutter attenuates the leverage of technology. These six factors represent a considerable hindrance when facing adversary deception in built-up areas but can also be a great help to U.S. forces conducting deception in support of urban operations. These findings form the basis of ongoing work to improve U.S. capabilities for countering/employing deception in future urban operations.

Subject

• Deception (Military science)
• Street fighting (Military science)
• Urban warfare

Note

• "MR-1132-A."
• "Prepared for the United States Army."

Bibliography (note)

• Includes bibliographical references.

Processing Action (note)

• committed to retain

Contents

Ch. 1. Introduction -- Ch. 2. Urban Terrain and Urban Operations -- What Is the Nature of Urban Terrain? -- How Is Urban Terrain Distinct from Other Types of Terrain? -- What Kinds of Operations Are Performed in Urban Terrain? -- How Does Urban Terrain Affect Those Operations? -- Ch. 3. Deception -- What Is Deception? What Is Military Deception? -- What Would Deception Be Used For? -- Who Would Use Deception? -- How Is Deception Employed? -- How Useful Is Deception? -- What Are the Dangers of Employing Deception? -- Ch. 4. The Role of Deception in Urban Operations -- What Kind of Urban Operations Is Deception Applicable To? -- How Does Urban Terrain Alter Deception? -- How Does Urban Terrain Help Deception? -- How Might Urban Terrain Hinder Deception? -- Ch. 5. Conclusions.

ISBN

0833027875

LCCN

^^^99055171^

Owning Institutions

Harvard Library